Calil, Muflu, and Ali, very obfcure men, fancying themfelves particularly aggrieved by it, aflembled, in the abfence of the grand feignor and grand vizier then at Scutari, a confiderable number of their comrades in the Atmeidan, where they prefented to them a naked fword on which they had themselves fworn, and required of all who engaged with them to swear the death of the grand vizier, the Caimacan, and the Reis Effendi. The aga of the Janifaries repairing in hafte to the Atmeidan, Calil demanded if he were come to join the brave Muffelmen who were refolved on a reformation in the ftate, and the punishment of the tyrants? The aga, being deftitute of force to fupprefs the revolters, retired in filence. The fultan, attended by the vizier, returned with precipitation on the first intelligence of this infurrection at Conftantinople, where they arrived at midnight. On the next morning, by order of the emperor, the standard of Mahomet was displayed, but without effect; and the number of revolters continually increafing, the feraglio was on the day following formally invested. Measures being now in preparation to force the gates of the palace, their aftonishment was great to fee the dead bodies of the profcribed minifters brought out on litters, preceded by an officer of the Boftangis, who announced the condefcenfion of the emperor, and commanded them in his name to separate. The three leaders of the revolt, fully aware of the danger of their fituation, expreffed their diffatisfaction at this conceffion, and, de claring the fultan Achmet unworthy of the throne, boldly exclaimed, that they would have fultan Mahmoud for their fovereign. The name of Mahmoud was repeated with loud acclamations, refounding even to the inmost receffes of the feraglio. The fultan Achmet haftily affembling a divan, afked, with a faltering voice, what the rebels had yet to defire; on which an Iman replied, "My lord, thy reign is at an end-thy revolted subjects will no longer have thee for a mafter. They demand

with

with fhouts thy nephew Mahmoud-it is in vain for thee to flatter thyself that they will return to their allegiance.” At these words the fultan turned pale, but foon recovering himself, faid, "Why was I not informed of this fooner? Follow me." Immediately he went to the prison of Mahmoud, attended by all the members of the divan; and, having taken that prince by the hand, «The wheel has turned for you as for me," faid he to him, conducting him to the divan chamber; I refign to you the throne which Mustapha my brother refigned to me." After which he returned to the apartment from whence he had taken Mahmoud, there to end his life. Thus in the space of about eighty years no less than four emperors had been fucceffively dethroned at Conftantinople by lawless and popular violence. A demonstration so striking of the inftability and insecurity of the military and defpotic governments, might surely fuffice to reconcile the proudest despot to the establishment of a regular and permanent system of liberty.*

The parliament of England assembling in January 1730, the king, in his fpeech from the throne, declared the peace of Europe to be firmly established by the treaty of Seville, which was built, as he afferted, on the foundation of the quadruple alliance. He affirmed, that Spain had agreed to an ample reftitution and reparation for all unlawful feizures and depredations; that the free and uninterrupted exercise of British commerce was fully fecured;

and

It is faid that a grand vizier of Turkey once inquiring of Mr. Montague, the English ambaffador at Conftantinople, whether it were really true, as he had been informed, that the English nation had struck off the head of one of their kings on a public fcaffold? the ambaffador answered, that it was: And the vizier farther inquiring at what distance of time this incredible act of wickedness and rebellion had been committed, the ambaffador told the vizier, with great coolness, that, to the best of his recol lection, it was in the very fame year in which the grand feignor Ibrahim was depofed, and Arangled by the Janifarics.

and that all rights, privileges, and poffeffions belonging to him and his allies were confirmed and folemnly guaranteed. Violent oppofition was made to the terms of this treaty when fubmitted to the inveftigation of parliament; though it must be acknowledged that fome of the objections urged by the patriots, when viewed through the long vifta of years which has now intervened, appear rather minute and captious. They affirmed that the article by which the British merchants were required to make proof of their loffes at the court of Madrid was injurious to them, and difhonorable to the nation; and that there was little probability of obtaining that redrefs by means of commiffaries, which was refused to plenipotentiaries. They complained that the right of Great Britain to Gib raltar and Minorca was not acknowledged in this treaty ; they difliked the guarantee of Tufcany, Parma, and Pla centia, to don Carlos and his fucceffors, as a conceffion which might involve Great Britain in future quarrels about a country with which we had no concern. But the principal objection, and that which conftituted the chief ground of the high offence taken by the emperor, was founded upon that article of the treaty by which England not only guaranteed the fucceffion of thefe duchies to the Infant, but engaged to convey a body of Spanish troops to Italy, in order to fecure thofe poffeffions without wait ing for the Imperial investiture; which was not only an open and flagrant affront offered to the Imperial dignity, but likewise a palpable deviation from the letter of the quadruple alliance, by which neutral troops only were to be admitted, till the inveftitures were granted. And if any obftacles arofe in carrying this article of the convention of Seville into execution, the contracting parties, in conjunction with France, under whofe mediation it was concluded, agreed by force of arms to obtain the accom plishment of it. So much incenfed was the court of Vienna at the infult, ftill more perhaps than the injury

offered

offered in the treaty of Seville, that his Imperial majesty iffued an edict, prohibiting the fubjects of Great Britain from trading in his dominions; and made great military preparations and demonstrations of a determination to affert his rights by a declaration of war. In the course of this feffion, and while things remained in this posture, a very warm debate arose in confequence of a bill introduced by the minister to prevent any fubject of Great Britain from advancing money by way of loan to foreign princes or flates, without licenfe first obtained from his majefty under his privy feal. This bill was ably opposed by fir John Barnard, one of the representatives of the city of London, a man of strict integrity and extenfive commercial knowledge, as "a meafure which would render Holland the mart of money to the nations of the continent. He said, that by this general prohibition the English were difabled from affifting their beft allies; that the king of Portugal frequently borrowed money of the English merchants refiding within his dominions; that the licensing power was liable to dangerous abufe; and that the claufe which empowered the attorney-general to compel the difcovery on oath of fuch loans, would convert the court of Exchequer into a court of Inquifition." In confequence of these arguments the bill was modified in fuch a manner as to render it much less exceptionable; and it was declared, "that the object of it was merely to prevent the subjects of the ftate from affifting the enemies of the state. It was well known that at this very time the emperor was negotiating a loan in the metropolis, and it was manifeftly impolitic and abfurd to permit individuals to enrich themfelves by any mode. of traffic detrimental to the general interests of the kingdom." The bill at length paffed; and it must be acknowledged, that the principle on which it is founded appears perfectly equitable, and that no inconvenience has, in fact, been found to refult from it.

A bill paffed by the commons in the course of this feffion "for making more effectual the laws in being for disabling perfons from being chofen members of parliament, who enjoyed any penfion during pleasure, or for any number of years, or any office holden in truft for them," was rejected on the fecond reading by the lords; and on the 15th of May, 1730, the king went to the house of peers, and closed the feffion with a speech, in which very harsh and angry mention was made of " thofe incendiaries who, by fcandalous libels, labored to alienate the affections of his people, to fill their minds with groundless jealoufies and unjust complaints, in difhonor of him and his government, and in defiance of the sense of both houses of parliament."*

Early in the year 1731, the parliament was again convened, and the feffion opened by a remarkable speech from the throne, indicating a very extraordinary and alarming fituation of affairs. The king declared, "that in confequence of the measures formerly taken, and the conclufion of the treaty of Seville, the dangerous confequences fo justly apprehended from the treaty of Vienna were entirely obviated; and that union which had alarmed all Europe not only diffolved, but the treaty of Hanover ftrengthened by the additional power of the crown of Spain. His majesty obferved, that from this situation of affairs just hopes were entertained that the conditions of the treaty of Seville would have been complied with without the neceffity of coming to extremities; but that this desirable event

had

The fcandalous libels mentioned in the king's fpeech were fuppofed chiefly to allude to the periodical papers entitled "The Craftsman,” supported by the ableft political writers of the age, lord Bolingbroke and Mr. Pulteney being themselves of the number, and in which the measures of the administration were attacked with equal animofity, wit, and argument. So tranfient, however, is the fame attached to controversial politics, that this publication, so admired and celebrated in its day, is already configned to obfcurity and almoft to oblivion.